I suspect a lot of people who want to like kale, don’t: it’s not exactly the most approachable vegetable if you don’t know what to do with it. The first time I tried kale from the farmer’s market, I found it to be so tough that it was several months before I tried it again.

With that in mind, I put together this list of 10 fun, easy, really tasty ways to eat more kale. So that next time you wear that Eat More Kale shirtย , you won’t just be frontin’. (It’s okay, I understand that you’ve got to take off your NMA shirt to wash it once in a while.)

10 Ways to Love Kale Mor More

1. Massage it in a salad.

Yep, you read that right. Give it a good rub down. As I said, kale is one tough customer — but it turns out if you give it a good squeeze with your hands and some type of dressing, it softens up and becomes easier to chew and digest, without losing the benefits you get from eating it raw.

I’ll be the first to admit you won’t fool anyone if you put them in an Utz bag and try to pass them off as regular chips, but at least your body will thank you. Here are chef Julie Morris’ tips for making great kale chips, along with her recipe for a dill-flavored version.

3. Pair it with nuts.

I’ve actually started to enjoy the taste of kale, but after a while, sauteing it with garlic and squirting some lemon on it gets old. This recipe not only has you boil the kale for a few minutes to soften it up, it adds panfried walnuts to up the excitement factor. Walnuts, whoohoo! (I know that sounds like sarcasm but I’m actually excited.)

4. Try dinosaur kale.

Dinosaur kale (image via Wikipedia).

It’s really called Lacinato kale, but a lot of people call it dinosaur kale. Why? I have no freaking clue. Maybe because it looks like dinosaur skin (maybe) looked?

Either way, I find Lacinato to have a better flavor and be more tender than regular kale, plus it’s less messy to chop. I like to add a little tamari to give it an Asian flair.

5. Throw it in the soup.

Kale works great in soups because the long simmering time softens it up and makes it work like any other green in a soup, only with a heavier nutritional punch.

That’s my cool-because-it’s-alliterated-and-rhymes formula for a cheap, healthy, one-pot meal. (Others have since stolen the name, but that’s okay.) Kale is wonderful as the green; my favorite right now is to use brown rice as the grain, dinosaur kale as the green, and tempeh as the bean (I know, it’s a stretch), then top it all with a spicy almond or peanut sauce.

7. Put kale in a burger.

Oh no she didn’t! Yes she did: my pal Gena at Choosing Raw makes some fine burgers, and these millet, kale, and yam burgers might be the finest of all, at least nutritionally-speaking. Google “kale burger” and you’ll find a lot more possibilities, too.

8. Put it in a green smoothie.

I’m not going to lie — I like a smoothie as much as the next guy, but I can’t stomach the green smoothies that you see on just about every healthy eating blog in the universe. But if you like them (or if you just want to add some kale to your normal, appetizingly-colored smoothie), you can toss some kale in there and a high-speed blender will break down the kale for you. I make no guarantees about a regular blender, though.

9. Use kale as a burrito shell.

Again, dinosaur kale is a better choice than other varieties here — the leaves are flat, so they’ll do a better job of containing all that Mexican goodness without making a mess. And it doesn’t have to be a burrito; this works for any kind of wrap. Collard leaves, another 1000-pointer on the ANDI scale, are probably the more popular faux-tortilla since they’re larger and more tender than kale. But hey, this post is about kale.

10. Just saute it!

Keep it simple — I know I said it gets boring eventually, but a little olive oil, a clove or two of garlic, a few minutes in the pan and squirt of lemon juice or soy sauce at the end make for a terrific and fast side to just about any main dish. In our house, we prepare kale this way once or twice a week, more often than any of these other highfalutin methods.

If you like your kale softer, add some water and cover the pan for few minutes before adding the lemon juice or soy sauce.

Okay, you had to know it was coming … what’s your favorite way to prepare kale that absolutely trounces all of these? Leave it a comment (feel free to link to your own recipe if you’ve got a blog), and you’ll help make this post a great resource for potential kale-heads!

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I thought I was so original until I read your number 3! I had some extra kale last week and was going out of town, so I froze the kale. I fixed like your number three, but crushed the frozen kale into small pieces while it was still frozen in the freezer bag. It was so easy and tasted terrific in a matter of minutes!

Stamppot means a dish in which a vegetable is mashed together with potatoes. Just cook it all in one pot and mash it up (we have a special device for it, a “stamper”). Add a bit of broth, some toasted nuts, cubes of smoked tofu, or whatever you like to it for flavour.

It’s such a huge part of Dutch cooking culture that if we say “kale with sausage”, we mean stamppot of kale with (a big, smoked, dead-animal) sausage.

You can make it with any sort of green! Another traditional combination is carrots, onions, and potatoes (for some reason called “hutspot”). This one is especially apt if you have just been liberated from a Spanish siege.

– I always steam the kale (strainer above the boiled potatoes will do)
– I love to add cashew nuts and curry spices (you can also marinate tofu with curry spices)
– I am a cheese junky (which is not very plant based, I know :)), so cheese based burgers are a nice and filling addition
– I always add butter and (soy)milk to make a better/juicier puree

You can basically add ANY veggie you like, mushrooms are really good too

I have never eaten this way in my life. I bought kale and made a smoothie with it. Not bad, but my blender failed to chop it up well. An old German dish passed down from generation to generation consists of mashed potatoes in a 4quart roaster with brats lined on top, covered by cheese melted under the broiler. Not sure what kind of cheese my grandmothers used, but my mother preferred Velveeta. A blast from the past- delicious!

I steam kale until tender. I takes about 20 minutes. I put the stems in a food processor with some garlic cloves, turmeric and a little of the water used for steaming, to make a dip. I use the rest of the water for soup.

Definitely the sauteed kale! We heat it in a tiny bit of sesame oil, then when it’s mostly cooked down, we throw in a bit of tamari to give it some added flavor. Sometimes we’ll use garlic, but often not.

I have kale growing in a border around part of my house… pretty and easy to go grab a piece for one of your dreaded green smoothies, which are a staple in our home!
Here is my favorite easy way to eat kale: Saute it in a pan with a tiny bit of oil and water and a few spoons of raspberry jam (or whatever sweet jam or preserve you have handy.) Delish!

Wow! Based on this article Kale is the one green I should be avoiding! I have iron overload (specific types of anemia – yes anemia have this). I’m supposed to stay away from any items high in iron – that’s why I don’t eat red meat. Very interesting!! And, good to know. I guess I should check on collards – I eat those a lot too.

Kale is delicious sauteed with red wine. Basically you need an acid to cut the bitterness, and red wine is a lovely sustitute for lemon juice. The only problem I run into is once that bottle of wine is open to sautee with the kale, the rest of it usually finds its way into my mouth. ๐ฎ

Amen Matt, thanks for the Kale breakdown – my wife and I eat the ever living crap out of this beautiful food.

One of our fave preparations is to simmer or slow cook a legume with a range of spices, then place that mixture on top of fresh kale inside of a bowl or container. Add a little coconut oil and cover for 2-3 minutes … boom.

The Kale is naturally steamed by the hot legume action … oh so yummy and still raw with nutrient power.

I love adding kale to my tofu scrambles. That’s my favorite way to eat kale. Just saute onions, bell pepper, carrots, tomatoes, tofu and kale with what spices you want and magical comfort food.
I just made one for dinner.

Awesome blog! I haven’t tried kale again since I tried it a YEAR ago and just absolutely couldn’t stand its overwhelming ‘earthy’ taste. I couldn’t even bring myself to try kale chips – – I will definitely be trying it again soon now that I have all these options! thanks! ~ Casey

I eat kale mash every day after cooking up a pot about once a week. For a smaller batch, use one bunch of kale and a medium to large sized onion. Cook the onion well in oil till it’s browning, and add some garlic and seasonings such as Italian herbs. Meanwhile cook the kale in a pot with about an inch or two of water, till it’s wilted but still bright green. After the kale has cooked add the onions. Take an immersion blender and turn the whole thing into mash. You can add some balsamic vinegar or lemon too. Depending on how much water you add, the mash can be like a green soup. This is the primary way I eat kale because I got so sick of gnawing on the leaves.

The mash could be used as the base for more complicated dishes, too. I’m imaging steamed red potatoes added to it. I wonder how it would be with lentils?

I’m in LOVE with this recipe I kind of copied from the hot bar at Whole Foods. They call it Kenya Kale, I call it delicious.
1 lrg bag fresh Kale
1 fresh lemon-diced
1 onion, diced
3 clove garlic, chopped
Some fresh ground pepper
About 1 T vinegar
2-4 fresh jalapenos, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes (whole foods uses fresh, but I don’t always have that available)
about 2-3 cups water,
1 T olive oil
Salt to taste
Braggs’ amino acid liquid – to taste
—
Sauteed the garlic in the oil, then throw it all in a pot & cook for about 15 – 20 mins. You may want to chop off the harder stems of the Kale leaves, if it seems too fibrous. But I love this dish – hot or cold!

A while ago, when my partner and I were new to a totally plant-based diet, we some kale in the fridge for a few days, and weren’t sure how to use it. We make a big (Gigantic) salad every week that lasts us 3 or 4 days. We put everything else in it, so I thought, well, let’s see how this tough ol’ leaf works in our Big Salad. I chopped it up into smallish pieces, and it worked wonderfully! Little crunchy bits for added texture. And SOOO nutritious, I actually felt smarter with every bite. So we use it all the time, now. When I tell people that we put kale in our salads, I get the same reaction everytime (from the ones who even know what kale IS): “I thought you had to cook kale for it to be edible.” Well, I thought so, too! But not anymore!

OUr favorite Family Kale recipe is:
1Bunch of curly leaf kale rinsed and torn into smaller pieces.
1TBSP Olive Oil
2-3TBSP Lemon or Lime Juice or a mix of both.
2-3TBSP Agave Nectar.
Dry Kale off a little and sprinkle with a small amount of salt. Add olive Oil,Juice and agave and toss together. Adjust ingredients to your taste. I toss in sunflower seeds and dried Cranberries. Then chill for a little and serve and enjoy! This does not last in my house .

A kale recipe I love… Pull the stalk off the kale leaves to reduce the toughness, tear leaves into pieces and saute lightly in olive oil with tiny pieces of brocolli and pine nuts and garlic. Add a little salt and pepper. Drizzle with dressing mixture of mustard containing mustard seeds, garlic powder and honey to taste. Simple, fast and delicious!

Kale Bean Mash! Not my recipe but this is my version. I supposed you could use a different kind of beans but garbanzos just seem perfect
Garlic 1-2 bulbs
kale- 1 small bunch
chickpeas-1 can
braggs amino acids or soy sauce- 2 t
nutritional yeast-1-2 T
water-1/4c.
sriacha sauce or thai red chili sauce- as much as you want

chop and saute garlic. add well chopped kale and cook it down. add braggs or soy and chili sauce. drain and rinse chickpeas and add those. take off the heat and mash ( i use a potato masher and I like it pretty mashed) the kale will stick in there so I have to take a fork to the masher and clean it out. Add water and nutritional yeast- more water for more yeast. You just want it creamy. Eat ๐

I put Kale in my smoothie almost every single day! I find that kale is much easier to stomach in a smoothie than spinach. Also of note: I use a plain old run of the mill blender, and it purees the kale just fine… I’d say about 95% success rate compared to a specific smoothie blender like yours, Matt. It’s a Cuisinart blender.

The only way I can stomach kale is in a smoothie. I might try to finely chop it up and put it in a veggie burger, but that would be the only other choice. I’m a texture person. And the texture of kale is just repulsive to me!

Oh man, I love kale! Nacho kale chips are my absolute favorite snack. The only problem is how fast they go. ๐
Another great recipe is the Dragon Bowl in The Garden of Vegan. It’s very simple, but very good. I make it with their Sarah & Tanya’s You-Must-Make-This-Dressing from the same book. I usually make it when the guys are away at scout camp for the weekend so I don’t have to share. ๐

I got this recipe from the excellent Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson and it’s been a staple of mine since first bite. In an oven pre-set to 350, bake some kale with a little olive oil, tamari and some shredded coconut. 7-10 minutes later, you’ve got something delicious. Serve over rice pilaf if you like.

Do southern style kale! Sautee the kale with some onion and garlic in a pan, then add balsamic vinegar and hot sauce. Cook on medium low for a long time to get the flavors all worked in. I usually add in some liquid smoke to sub for the meat product that would normally be put in a pot of greens. It’s the only way I can get my omni husband to eat kale. With this recipe he eats seconds!

Thanks for the post, Matt! Lately one of my favorite ways to eat kale is kale chips. It’s become a good alternative to potato chips while watching football on Sundays. Next up, I need to try stamppot — sounds really tasty!

I put kale in my smoothie every day, and I never have a problem with it not blending well. I used to use spinach, but I knew kale was better nutritionally, so I tried it–and it works well. I remove any thick stems first and let it blend a bit longer than I would with spinach. People tend to put way too many high-sugar ingredients in smoothies; they become glorified desserts–so my goal is to keep it as low-carb as possible while still having it taste good. ๐ I use about a 1/2 cup berries (usually a combo of strawberry and blueberry), about a 1/2 cup packed kale, about 1 cup water, a handful of ice, 1 TB ground flax, and a big scoop of any vegan protein powder. Blends right up in my Magic Bullet, and I never taste the kale.

I also make a raw kale salad that is delicious–massage the kale with salt for just a couple minutes–doesn’t take long; it’s massaged enough when it turns darker in color and becomes very fragrant. Then add some chopped avocado and shredded carrot. Toss all with a liberal helping of tahini dressing (or any other nutty dressing–a peanut sauce would work). Let it sit for 10 minutes or so to continue to break down. It’s fantastic…found it online somewhere a while ago.

I drink my kale juice twice a day! I simply use the kale and green apple or celery, or cucumber. The simpler the better. This juice cured my diabetes. I am no longer insulin dependent nor to do I take any medication’s anymore! One way I like to cook my kale is to saute it with garlic and chickpeas. peppers and onions and serve over brown rice or Quinoa.

It does very well shredded in things you can bake as a pie or pastry. I use it half and half with spinach when I would usually use spinach. I find it is especially good in Greek spanakopita. It works very well. I also shred it into veggie samosas. It seems like if it is shredded and in a pie it gets very steamy and soft and well seasoned.

I make, from Martha Stewart of all people, a vegan Kale and Cauliflower soup. Saute one chopped up onion, and three cloves of minced garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and some salt and pepper, until soft. Then add 1 head of cauliflower, broken up, 4 cups of water, and 1/4 cup of fresh minced dill. Let simmer for about 20 minutes until the cauliflower is soft. Add a small bunch of kale, chopped up with the stems removed and let wilt. Then blend (I use a hand blender). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Server with olive oil & more dill on top. Really simple, creamy, and delicious.

I do my kale Indian-style by heating black mustard seeds, cumin, and coriander in some coconut oil, then adding onion/garlic/ginger, then some finely chopped kale. Sautรฉing chopped kale with veggie broth, garlic, and some liquid smoke makes a great side for a Southern flavored dish. And a massaged raw salad with olive oil, balsamic, sea salt and slivered almonds is hard to beat. Eat more kale!

I eat kale EVERY day! I have in my smoothies (with tons of fruit). I eat kale chips (with salt, pepper and olive oil). Kale in soup. I also like (non-vegan) baked eggs on a bed of kale (also with olive oil, salt and pepper) with diced tomatos and blue cheese on top. A treat, I guess…

Great post! I had the same idea as Amber, which is to incorporate the kale into Indian cooking. I just made a traditional south indian dish which usually is made with spinach, coconut and lentils and indian seasoning, but I used kale instead of the spinach and it came out great. I venture that substituting kale into any Indian spinach dish should work out really tasty! Only thing is to remember to steam the kale beforehand so that it softens up…

We eat steamed kale every night. I stick two bunches in a sink full of water, and swish them around. I check the leaves for bugs, and eggs. ( Nice to know the food is local.:) We have a produce store two blocks away that grows the kale.) I then put the kale the the cutting board, and just chop it up. I toss it in a soup pot, pour some water on top. I turn on the heat, and once it is steaming, I cook it on low for 7-8 min. We just eat it plain then. My boyfriend is in love with the kale water that is on the bottom of the pot. When you drink it, from the bowl, after distributing the kale into two bowls, it feels like a warm blanket that you are putting on your insides. Years ago, I would reading in the vegan nutrition books that kale was so good, but I had no idea what to do with it. And, now we go through two bunches a day! The stuff is so good! I fell in love with the Happy Herbivore’s Salty Dog salad. Raw, massaged kale with a bit of sea salt, and a ripe, juicy peach thrown in. Awesome!

My absolute favorite way to eat kale is in Heidi Swanson’s recipe from her 101 cookbooks blog called “Pan fried corona beans and kale.” It is heaven in a bowl, it is pan fried large white beans, kale, garlic, walnuts, fresh grated lemon zest, nutmeg and a little lemon juice. It makes enough for 2 but I usually eat the whole thing myself, especially the day before an intense workout. I use large canned butter beans I seem to only be able to find at whole foods from an italian company, cannelli beans mostly mush up and you have to special order corona beans, but something I definitely want to try some day. Try it, it will feed your soul ๐

BUT substituting that grisly white pastry for a wholewheat or brown rice wrap, then sealing it up around the filling like a burrito and dry frying on each side to seal it shut and make it portable and desk-lunch friendly : ) You can leave out the feta and it’s just as delicious – chuck in some chilli for a little kick and pine nuts or almonds add a bit of crunch. Perfectly filling lunch that my colleagues always look at enviously!

My kale mix is more of a raw salad and the combination of ingredients that I use varies according to what I have on hand.

I toss kale (chopped a bit but with stems and all) into a food processor with tomato and carrot. Give it a whiz until it is quite finely chopped up. Very quick. That’s the main foundation. Into this mix I usually add sunflower seeds and fresh ginger. Ginger is refreshing and it really lifts the whole mix. I’ve also put in some fresh red pepper, a dash of sesame seeds… you can really get creative. It’s absolutely delicious and great served as a salad.

My favorite way to eat kale is raw, as a salad with whatever else on it. I like it all the other ways too (chips, pesto etc) but I actually think it tastes sweet. I’m glad it is this way for me; I’m not one for bitter tasting foods. I love a kale/avacado combonation too!

I love kale, shredded raw in salads, topping my casseroles, & added to my omelet. Usually I wash & spin dry, then using seizors I trim the stems off & cut to smaller pieces quick & easy. Another fun way to eat kale is to wrap a spoonful of hummus in a leaf to make bite size snacks … yummy!

This is a brilliant piece! I have always wanted to add kale into my diet, but have never been sure what kind of dishes to incorporate it into. Also, I’m continually reading health articles about how kale is a super food (anti-oxidants and such), so I’m excited to start cooking with it. I’m especially interested in trying the burger and soup recipes.

Put all ingredient in blender, blend well….
Pour on griddle and cook like a pancake with a little syrup….they look weird because they are green, but delicious!!!! I donโt even like pancakes but love these!
You can add a touch of water if too thick!!

One of my favorite quick snack-on-the-go is to chop up a couple cups of kale, lightly steam it. While that’s steaming, warm up a whole wheat or sprouted tortilla, spread some guacamole (mine is literally just freshly mashed avocado) or hummus on the tortilla, mince crimini mushrooms, roll up the mushrooms and kale and enjoy!

We use kale that we get from a U-Pick-It farm nearby. one of our favorites is creamed kale.
We cook diced onions and a clove of garlic in a iron skillet. When the onions are tender, add chopped Kale and some water. Cover and steam for about 5 minutes. Add some heavy cream and parmesian cheese. salt and pepper to taste. If you are vegan you can substitute a mixture of almond milk and a small amount of cornstarch to thicken, and leave out the cheese of course.

My absolute favorite thing to do with Kale is boil it for about 20 minutes with a lot of water, partially covered, then take it out and put it in a covered bowl in the fridge. In the meantime I use the water as soup broth. Add beans, veggies, rice, whatever you like and a ton of spices. I let it cook forever on medium heat, like 2-3 hours (if you have a crock-pot that would probably be even better) then add the kale back in about 30 minutes before I serve it. Super delicious and easy plus if you make it in a giant pot the leftovers will make a week’s worth of lunches.

Finally I found a raw kale salad I love. The recipe comes from a restaurant in Asheville, NC(can’t remember the name however). If you chiffonade the kale it helps to tenderize it. After washing and trimming away the tough stem, stack the leaves and then roll up tightly and chop. Like you do with basil. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the chiffonade kale and massage. The lemon juice also helps to tenderize it. Toasted pumpkin seeds, manchiago cheese and a good olive oil. Of course you could add whatever else you wanted. But cutting it like this and massaging with lemon juice is the key. I love it! Great post and some great kale ideas!

I’m glad you add olive oil. I’m sick and tired of the fat-phobia in the plant based community. Avocados and Olives and nuts and seeds are GOOD FOR US. Fat is good! It’s satiating, adds falvor to meals and helps us properly absorb fat soluble vitamins.

Smoothies are the best. I buy a 1lb bag of baby kale. It’s not as dark green but it is still very nutritious just the same. You can also buy the clamshells of power greens that contain kale. I put lots of fruit and then 2 huge handfuls of kale in my Ninja (blender). The best smoothies ever that even my young children LOVE – no kidding around. Family favorite. http://1organizedmomma.blogspot.com/2015/01/offer-your-children-dark-leafy-greens.html

Hi all well I am a new user of kale but I love its many uses and benefits, I do a basic blanching in the frying pan with olive oil “the best of” ground black pepper , when half shrunk add Chinese cabbage already half cooked asparagus , crushed garlic tsp of bobs ur uncle nom nom mom

My current favourite way to eat raw kale is to chop up finely.. and eat in a toasted wholemeal flatbread with mashed avocado, a thin spread of mango chutney, chopped celery, shredded carrot and chopped beetroot… incredibly wholesome.. but absolutely delish! I also rub the toasted flatbread with a garlic clove to give a nice garlicky kick ๐

I grow kale year round here in WA state. In the late fall through early spring it is sweet and tender. Only in the heat does it get tough and bitter.
My favorite way to eat kale is in kale lemon sandwiches out of the Engine 2 cookbook.

Make your pasta with kale! Jamie Iliver has a great recipe for spinach pasta, but we substituted kale and it was delicious with whatever pasta sauce you like.

Kale slaw is also great. Shredding it is an alternative to massaging to get a more palatable texture. We also like shredded kale with leftover quinoa, grape tomatoes, dried cranberries, toasted bites and a sweet vinaigrette.

kale is awesome in homemade lasagna i grow the lasagna in my garden so i cant get it any fresher then that i put it in my lasagna i put my regular past then meat sauce then a layer of kale with cottage cheese on top then rinse and repeat till its think then i toss on a bit of grated cheese on top so good the kale give it the jena se qua so good

I have been eating Kale for years. And, I have it steamed, crisped, in veg stew, etc. The best is in a quinoa tabouleh in place of the parsley. Use chopped kale, quinoa, chick peas, tomato, onion, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and herbs/spices. Fantastic

Just a thought. My son taught me how to make a kale salad. He said it should be made with the dinosaur-like skin kind. He also said to cut off all the spines to take away bitter taste. Then he squeezed lemon juice over it, grated Parmesan cheese over it and lastly added slivered almonds. When he makes a bowl of this on Sunday, it lasts for lunch through his workweek. Of course he chills the left overs.

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